There's something in the Ayr
by TalesFromTheNetwork
Summary: Leanne (OC) and Drew have been friends since they were children, while they drifted apart for a few years they're back and closer than ever. When Drew's life is turned upside down Leanne doesn't know whether to follow her dreams or follow her heart.


*****some time ago*****

"Andydrew come on, I wanna go to the beach!" I called to my best friend. Impatiently spinning the pedals on my bike. I was going home tomorrow and wanted to get every second of fun I could at the beach. "You're so lucky, you get to come to the beach everyday. It's not fair!" I huffed as he finally made his way to my side. "The beach is boring, you're like the only person I know that likes it." He answered scornfully. A few hours later we headed back to the holiday park my family and I were staying in. I had been going to Craig Tara in southern Scotland for years with my family and had met Andy by accident (literally) one day when I had gone hurtling over the handlebars of my bike and he'd come to help me and got him Mum to bandage me up and take me home. We'd been friends ever since, writing to each other and phoning each other at least once a week. That had been years ago and this was probably the last time I was going to be here because my parents had decided we were moving away and I was gutted. "We'll still stay in touch won't we?" He'd asked rather sheepishly the night I'd told him. "You're such a loser, of course we will, and anyway you'll be going to uni in a few years anyway so you'll probably have new cool uni friends." I tried to laugh it off but secretly I hoped it wasn't true but who knew what might happen.

My family had gone back to Craig Tara to celebrate my 16th birthday, and while I was probably too old for the holiday park there was one reason and one reason alone I wanted to go and that was to see Andy, he had promised to be there visiting his grandparents that week so we plotted and schemed; making sure our dates matched up. I remember running up to him and being shocked at how different he was, he was a lot taller and wasn't the weedy kid I knew from childhood. He told me all about his training to be a wrestler, I'd laughed at him when we were kids because didn't we all want to go to the WWF and wrestle? I idolised Lita, but I knew it was nothing but a childish dream yet here Andy was making it happen, or at least trying to. The week went by in a flash and as he was getting on the train home he hugged me so tight, kissed my cheek and said he'd see me again soon. I was struck by how grown up he was, he was only 2 years my senior but seemed a lifetime older in that moment.

As the years went by we stayed in touch in the way most childhood friends did, sending the messages on birthdays and Christmas. The pride I felt when I saw his mum post about his graduation from university was insane. At that point we hadn't spoken properly in a few years and if I was honest while it hurt a little I realised it was just life. Life was moving forward and the years rolled on and all contact seemed to stop.

*****2012*****

I curled up on the sofa, grabbing the remote that Mum tossed across to me, and flicked on WWE. It had been years since we'd watched it. I'd been away at Uni and trying to establish my photography business I just didn't have the time. Casually watching the show and all of a sudden dropped my bottle of water. "MUM LOOK! THAT'S ANDY I'M SURE OF IT!" I shouted. "Andy who?" She looked up from her laptop, she was clearly paying attention. "Andrew Galloway, from when we used to go to Ayr, aka my childhood best friend. God woman pay attention." I rolled my eyes at her. "Don't be daft thats not him." She scoffed "it bloody is i'm telling you!" I paused the TV and rewound it to the point you could see his face clearly and was gobsmacked. After all his talk he'd made it to the big time, his childhood dreams had come true. I grabbed my phone not knowing whether I even had his number any more, chances were I didn't now that he was in America.

_Hey Andydrew, long time no speak. Don't even know if this is even remotely your number any more. Just wanted to drop you a message to say hey, was thinking about you and hope you're good! Watched WWE for the first time in years and saw your bake on my tellybox and couldn't be more proud of you. Anyway hopefully this makes it to you. Leanners_

I hit send, not really expecting anything more of it. A few minutes later my phone dinged.

_LEANNERS! Long time is right, Not my main number anymore but its linked to iMessage so comes through regardless, and I'm glad it does. thanks! Been a long time coming but finally making a name for myself. How are you? What are you doing with yourself these days? In fact I'm free in half an hour FaceTime? x_

_Sure, see you then x_

We spoke for almost 2 hours just catching up and it honestly felt like we'd never stopped talking. He was coming to the UK in a couple of weeks so we agreed to meet up and grab some dinner when he was in Belfast.

A few weeks later I was putting the final touches to my makeup when there was a knock at the door. "Shit, I'm coming, I'm coming." I sprayed my setting mist and hoped that I looked okay, I wasn't exactly trying to impress him but he also hadn't seen me since I was 16, that was over 5 years ago and I didn't want him thinking I was still a kid. I swung the door open and was met with arms wrapping round me. "Missed ya wee lassie" he chuckled to himself before letting me go. "Ha, missed you too kid." I laughed alongside him and gestured him in to the living room. "Do you want coffee or anything?" Over the course of the evening we properly caught up while putting the world to rights. As the evening wound down we agreed to make it a regular thing any time he was in the UK or I was in the same state as him not that the latter was going to happen too often

Several months later I got a call from Sky Sports, they had seen some of my work and were keen to see me to discuss a job opening they had. The following Thursday I landed in London and after fighting through the crowds made my way to the Sky offices.

*****A Few Hours Later*****

"So all in all we'll arrange your work Visas for you, just need you to provide your bank details and then we need a list of whatever further equipment you need for the job. It's not going to be easy to begin with, and our previous team have stated that their can be some difficulties with the cable film crews from time to time but once you all get into the right rhythm you'll be fine." Jason smiled at me and continued "Have you any questions?" Smiling back at him I cocked my head to the side thinking. "Nope, all good my side I think… Just one actually, is this real? 'Cause being hired to be Sky's photographer for WWE at all events, travelling with the company that I've watched since I was a child, possibly meeting some of the people I idolised as a child seems too good to be true." I nervously laughed, and he smiled at me, chuckling softly. "I promise you it's real, if you want I can pinch you to prove it but then that could open up a whole can of worms for HR and to be honest I can't be arsed with the paperwork for that, so it'd make my life and job easier if you just believed me." Jason shrugged and leaned against the desk in front of me, "So do you want to give me a list just now or do you want to just email me?" I smiled at him and said I'd email it across as I needed to research what else I needed, and what I needed to upgrade from my already expansive range of cameras and lenses. "Okay so there we have it, we'll see you at the O2 next week for Raw and Smackdown." I got up and shook his hand with a massive smile. "Oh before you go head to the 6th floor, and get Sarah in HR to get your ID Pass and credentials sorted, that way you can come and go as you please here." I smiled again and left to make a start on my career.

**_…_****_Andydrew would like to FaceTime…_**

"Well how did you get on? What did they want?" He beamed at me.

"Erm, yeah so they want me as their photographer for sporting events."

"That's awesome, just in general or specifically a venue or event?"

"Well, they want me doing all the photos for…" I smirked at him, he rolled his eyes and made an hurry up gesture. "WWE!"

"Leanners thats amazing! I'm so happy for you, wait that means I'll get to see you more often!" He was grinning from ear to ear.

"Yep we sure will, starting next week. It's my first job at the O2"

"That's awesome, I'll see you then! Gotta run here, have to be on the road in a couple hours and I need to get some sleep. Congratulations again wee lassie!"

"Okay dokay, sweet dreams and drive safe tomorrow. Text me when you get there." I waved at the screen. He mimicked and then blew me a kiss before hanging up.

*****A Year Later*****

I liked the gypsy lifestyle, travelling with the film crew who I had quickly become friends with. We shared hotel rooms, took it in turns getting coffees in the morning and were like one big happy family. It was such a culture shock to be thrust into the unknown, Jason had warned me that they didn't like the photographers from Sky in the past but here I was part of the team or so I was told. A different venue each week and then doing some private work in my spare time. I was for want of a better phrase loving life. I was heading back to the UK for the shows in Manchester in 2 days time and I had nothing ready for it. So I busy'd myself emptying my drawers of the little clothes I had, finding misplaced SD cards and spare camera batteries in the process. *Knock Knock* for fucks sake who was that now? I meandered over to the door and checked the peep hole, okay someone official looking. I made sure the chain was attached, just in case and opened the door. "Good morning Miss Cee, how are you?" Kevin Dunn was in my room, my exceptionally messy, stuff everywhere, absolutely mortifying room. I felt my cheeks turning beetroot, I had my hair thrown up in a messy bun, was wearing leggings that were so worn they looked like they hadn't ever been washed and an old 'Get the 'F' out' shirt. The head of WWE's media/tv production team was in my room and I looked like a tramp for want of a better phrase. Oh joy.

"We have a proposition for you, we've been watching you these last 18 months, admiring your work and how well you get on and work with our existing team. We would like you to work solely for us. We want you to be lead photographer on all WWE live events and any promotional material we need." We had moved to a quiet coffee shop, well as quiet as you could get in LA. "Wow, that's a lot to take in, and you're sure this is me that you want." I nervously laughed. The smile he gave me was like that of a proud papa. "Like I've said, we have been watching from the beginning, like we do with everyone who's even third party involved with the company. Kenny wanted you on board from the start, you just fit with his team. The talent love working with you too. So yes we want you, and want you to start as soon as you finish up with your prior Sky Sports commitments, which as far as I am lead to believe are just next weeks Manchester Shows." He placed his coffee cup down in front of him and outstretched his right hand. "So do we have a deal that you will think about it?" I was positively beaming and must have shook his hand harder than I ever had. "Of course we have a deal. When do you need to know my definitive answer?" I could hear the excitement in my own voice and was trying hard to keep it in check. "Say by Friday? Everything you should need to know is in this folder, including your starting salary and budget for equipment. Travel arrangements can be made in one of 2 ways, either we arrange it all for you or we can give you a travel and accommodation allowance. I trust you will want to discuss that with the rest of your colleagues to see what works best." He handed me a bulging folio and got up. "Thank you Kevin, this is a lot to think about and I'll be in touch with you as soon as I have made a decision." He smiled at me and left. The fact if the matter was I had already got my answer, this was what I wanted to do, to be with a team I loved 24/7 and also have more access to the WWE itself. I couldn't wait to tell Andrew.

"I'VE JUST BEEN GIVEN A JOB WITH WWE!" I shouted down the phone to him.

"That's great Leanners. I've just been fired…"


End file.
